Sliders for Kids & Grown Ups
Hello, it’s been awhile! The summer has been absolutely insane so I’m hoping I can catch up on some posts this week.
A couple of weekends ago I had a few cousins visit with their little kids, age newborn to 3. Not being a parent myself, I wasn’t sure what to make. I just knew that it had to appeal to both big and small people and wouldn’t take too long to set up since we were going blueberry picking right before lunch. I also wanted the food to be fun and flexible.
I didn’t quite make the timing right (we ate close to 2pm) but at least it tasted good. We were hit with a huge downpour right after we left the blueberry orchard so Hubby started these on an electric grill, then finished them outside when the rain slowed down.
Recipe for a Simple Slider Party
Protein (2 oz. each)
- Ground beef patties
- Ground turkey patties
- Black bean patties (I didn’t get a chance to make these; when I do I’ll put them in a later post)
Toppers
- Basil leaves
- Leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces
- Tomato slices (plum or cherry)
- Cheese (slices off a cheddar brick are the perfect size)
Condiments
- Ketchup
- Roasted red pepper mayo (I roasted a red bell pepper under the broiler, peeled the skin off, diced the pepper and mixed into light mayo)
Grill the patties and serve on slider rolls. Wouldn’t you know it, they actually SELL slider rolls now?? I found out after I ended up making my own. We also had corn on the cob (the right way if boiling is 3 minutes only!!!), and a great spinach and strawberry salad that my cousin made.
For dessert, I made peach yogurt popsicles. Puree sliced peaches and whole milk yogurt with lemon juice and a little sugar. Pour into molds, freeze, and watch the kids go nuts!
Filed under Fruit, Meat, Party | Comment (1)Unfried Green Tomatoes
Sometimes, when I work from home, I get so busy I forget to think about what to have for lunch!
I’ve been too impatient waiting for my scarce bounty of tomatoes to turn red, so I made a super easy sandwich with green tomatoes. Typical green tomatoes are battered and then deep-fried, but I think you lose a lot of the great texture from the tomato itself. Green tomatoes don’t have developed sugars, but they still have a nice sturdy meatiness perfect for a sandwich. I added in some sweetness with Italian basil and caramelized onions, and sea salt to punch up the savory flavor.
This would be even better with some crispy bacon, mmmm.
Green Tomato & Egg Sandwich
Original Recipe
1 hard roll (I used a leftover homemade garlic scape hard roll from the freezer)
1 small green tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 eggs
1/4 cup sweet onion, sliced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 large basil leaves (Italian, lime, Thai – almost any kind works)
Small pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Mayonnaise (optional)
Slice the roll in half. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet with 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and stir to coat with oil. Add balsamic vinegar. Let cook until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove onions and drain lightly on paper towels. Toast the roll halves and put on a plate.
Wipe out the skillet clean of onion debris, increase heat to medium high, and add 1 tsp olive oil. Pat tomato slices with a paper towel, then add tomatoes to skillet. Fry 1.5 minutes per side, sprinkling with 1/4 tsp sea salt. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Break the eggs into the skillet, keeping them separated. Fry for 1.5 minutes until light brown, then carefully flip both eggs. Sprinkle on additional sea salt and pepper. Cook for 30 more seconds for slightly runny yolks. Remove and put on the bottom half of the toasted roll.
Top eggs with basil leaves, onions, mayonnaise (if desired), and top half of roll.
Filed under Fruit, Recipe, Vegetarian | Comment (0)Chutney…Or Is It A Salsa?
Now that blueberry season is almost over, my fruit obsession has quickly turned over to peaches. As always, the peaches from Manoff Market Gardens are some of the best around. I currently have a tray of sliced yellow in the freezer for mid-winter smoothies (brrr) and welcomed Hubby home with a peach and yogurt smoothie.
Amy is always so kind to give her customers a free ready-to-eat peach with every purchase. This trip I was blessed with a super juicy white nectarine – pair that with another ripe yellow peach in my bag and we had a nice topper for dinner. See you again on Friday for more peaches!
I guess since I didn’t cook it, this is technically a salsa. I just love the word chutney so much more. Hubby says he normally doesn’t like fruit salsas but would love this with tortilla chips. This would also be excellent with a little fresh mint. I served it on top of two grilled salmon fillets along with leftover Southwestern Slaw, sauteed Swiss chard, and micro arugula from Blue Moon Acres.
Rustic Peach Chutney
Original Recipe
Makes 1.5 cups, enough to top 2 fish fillets
2 ripe (but not mushy) peaches, pitted and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 T red onion, diced
1/2 tsp jalapeno, seeds removed, minced
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients and chill for 1/2 hour.
Filed under Fruit, Recipe, Vegetarian | Comments (4)Better Than Regular
No, not that kind of regular. As in, what my father-in-law proclaimed when he tasted my Southwestern-ized coleslaw today.
I’m always frustrated when I get deli coleslaw, which is why I normally opt for the pasta salad or nothing on the side. The vegetables are chopped up so small and smothered with so much mayo that you’re never entirely sure what’s in it. Like lettuce, I can’t digest a large amount of other types of roughage, so the couple of times a month I let myself eat it I want it to be something special.
The last time we got cabbage (I think it was Savoy) I used sesame oil, ginger, and other ingredients I can’t remember to make an Asian slaw. We got a cute little head of red cabbage in this CSA pickup. The bold color was just begging to be married with some kicked up spices and heat. I served it here with tomato basil mozzarella salad and a beautiful grilled pork chop from None Such Farms marinated in thyme, fennel fronds, and balsamic vinegar, topped with grilled fennel.
Southwestern Slaw
Original Recipe
Makes 6-8 servings
1 small head red cabbage (6-8 cups), sliced into 1/4 inch strips
2 medium carrots, shredded
1/4 c. light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp jalapeno, seeds removed and minced (can add more if you want more heat)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. parsley, chopped
Salt
Combine cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, cumin, paprika, jalapeno, and garlic in a small bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture to cabbage and toss. Add lime juice, cilantro, and parsley to bowl and toss. Add salt to taste. Chill for 1 hour up to overnight.
Filed under Recipe, Vegetarian | Comments (2)Another Beet Pancake
Following the general success of Mark Bittman’s beet pancake recipe, I decided to make this round a little heartier with some potato and parsley. You need to cover it during cooking to make sure the potato is cooked, but not so long that it steams.
Beet and Potato Pancakes
Original Recipe (technique adapted from Mark Bittman’s Beet Pancake recipe)
These reheat well within a week, crisped in the oven or on the grill.
1 lb beets, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
0.5 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour, divided
1/2 T unsalted butter + 1/2 tsp olive oil
Pinch salt
Process beets, potatoes, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper in a food processor until pieces are very small (close to pureed). Remove to a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup flour with a fork. Toss with additional 1/4 cup flour until no white traces remain.
Heat a large skillet with butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Using a heat safe spatula, scoop 1/4-1/2 cup of the beet mixture into the skillet and pat into a round patty 1/2 inch high, like a small burger. Repeat with rest of beet mixture, slightly spacing each patty. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown; flip each patty over. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt on each and serve hot.
